


Can't Erase The Facts

by lucdarling



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-12
Updated: 2011-11-12
Packaged: 2017-10-25 23:28:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/276024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucdarling/pseuds/lucdarling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was supposed to be a normal mission, and it was, up until the point where the building blew up with Clint inside. The Avengers are devastated at the loss of their own, and Coulson treats this as if it's just another day at the office with more paperwork to fill out.</p><p>That's not the full story, though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can't Erase The Facts

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [this prompt](http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/1854.html?thread=668734#t668734) at the LiveJournal [avengerkink](http://www.avengerkink.livejournal.com) community

Clint is still inside when the building catches ablaze with no warning, collapsing in on itself as smoke and ash darkens the sky. Less than ten minutes go by according to JARVIS before the building is no more than a pile of smoldering debris. Tony thinks everything stops for a long moment then, like the world is on pause outside of his Iron Man suit. When the world restarts, there is screaming and pain and death delivered in the form of a slim woman no taller than five and half feet. Tony can't say he's surprised at this reaction. Clint and Natasha have some history that even they don't talk about, except in the exchanging of dark shadowed looks after they've come back from side-missions that no one brings up.

When Natasha has taken her anger/grief/emotions on the remaining HYDRA agents, she folds in on herself. She shrugs Steve's hand off her shoulder but he wraps his arms around her, holding her unresisting form close. The rest of the Avengers are quiet on the jet and Tony watches Natasha close herself off further than he's ever seen.

Fury meets them on the tarmac and Tony must be imagining the single nod that Coulson gives his boss as his attention is taken up by Natasha storming silently past the one-eyed man without debriefing him as she usually does. Steve stands at attention before the Colonel and gives his own report in terse, short sentences before walking sadly off to his own quarters. Tony remembers the story of Bucky and thinks this loss is not going to go over well. As Thor tells Fury what happened on what was supposed to be a routine mission, no more danger than usual, Tony thinks of his plans to get spectacularly drunk tonight and probably well into the following week.

“I need your paperwork by noon tomorrow,” Coulson's firm voice is quiet and wow, right in front of him. Tony wonders how long he's been standing by himself on the asphalt and then the words register in his brain.

“I must have heard you wrong. You are concerned about my paperwork?” Tony is shocked. He thought he had realized the depth of the inhumanity that the agent must possess but this is a whole new low. “We have lost Clint! He is dead and you want my paperwork? How callous can you be, Coulson?” There's pressure building behind his eyes and Coulson's expression doesn't change. Tony considers putting the face plate down just so he has some sort of distance from the man.

“Noon tomorrow, on my desk. Or I'll ground you from the workshop for three days.” The agent walks off, leaving Tony standing there.

The funeral is held a day later, closed casket and attended by only a few. Tony stands between Steve and Pepper, her small hand tightly grasping his as Fury speaks. Bruce and Thor are next to her, both men looking down at the wooden box blankly. Tony lifts his head and looks at the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in the front of the suits on the other side. No surprise, the faces of Natasha and Coulson are staring straight ahead like the soldiers they are. When the empty box is lowered into the ground, Natasha's eyes close for a moment as if in pain. They open again, curiously blank with her face a pale mask. Coulson doesn't lift a hand to wipe the tears that leak and drip off his cheek, remaining motionless over the hole as Natasha stalks off.

Their next mission occurs two weeks after, fourteen long days that pass in a mixture of hazy grief and anger. Tony isn't sure how anyone else copes because he spends his time back in Malibu, designing better bows and arrows that explode on contact because he's a masochist. He doesn't give the plans to anyone, just stores them away in a cabinet. Pepper doesn't say anything about how he only sleeps when he passes out from exhaustion.

The Hulk smashes everything in his path, Thor swings his hammer and Steve his shield as Tony flies around the three in the suit, blasting the remnants of Doom's warehouse with his repulsors. There is no Natasha because she's been “reassigned to Europe”, according to Coulson. Tony doesn't blame her for the transfer. The mission is a success but there are more than a few momentary pauses in battle before they remember there's no archer perched on a roof to take a perfect shot.

Life somehow continues, Coulson hounding the four for their forms and still managing to be a sneaky ninja when Tony finally thinks he's dodged him. The man has become more a machine than usual, demanding their paperwork and Odin help you if it's not done correctly. He snaps at everyone but Fury, tone always icy and measured calm. His suits are always pressed but Tony begins to wonder if he doesn't sleep in his office since the man never seems to leave HQ.

Tony sees Natasha in the background on CNN a month and a half later, red hair dyed blonde and eyes now a dark brown. He has JARVIS alert him to any suspicious deaths and isn't surprised when two days later, the entire cabinet of a corrupt former Soviet-ruled country is found dead. It's the only time he sees her but the death count slowly rises as time passes.

HYDRA rears their head again in the northwestern United States and the four Avengers are sent to Seattle. It's been six months since the funeral and the quartet is finally working together in some semblance of how it used to be. The pauses are much less now, the four of them covering the others' backs quicker than they ever were before.

Tony returns to HQ and trudges to Coulson's office to turn in everyone's reports. They've begun electing one of them to turn in all the triplicate forms because dealing with the agent is not like it used to be. Tony had tried to be his usual self to garner a smile out of the man (they weren't friends by any definition of the word, but Tony had gotten a brief tilt of the lips after he'd made a joke twice Before) and found himself on the ground between heartbeats. Thor's questions about Midgard and their customs were met with curt replies and Steve was in perfect-soldier mode when he had any interactions with him. Bruce is the best suited to deal with this new version of Coulson but it seemed rude to pass off all the duties to the scientist so Tony stops by the office.

Coulson points to his inbox, never lifting his head from what has become a familiar-looking file. They have all seen the agent with his head buried in front of the file, watching it growing thicker but none have seen the contents. The quick glimpse Steve caught once showed a list of names blacked out.

Nine and twelve months go by and the Avengers slowly dismantle the HYDRA bases that are popping up around the world. It seems every time that they manage to take one down, at least two pop up. Tony knows the myth behind the name but still finds it unfair.

The anniversary of Clint's death is toasted with mead that Thor supplies, which does its job of getting Tony very drunk. He wakes the next morning with a headache and stumbles into the kitchen with the plans of finding medication and to drink at least a gallon of coffee. He passes by Coulson sitting on the couch, staring at the blank tv. He looks impatient, tension thrumming through him in anticipation of something. The file sits on the table in front of him, cover closed over the thick sheaf of papers.

“You want some coffee?” Tony offers even as speaking sends pain shooting through his head. Coulson nods. He takes the two mugs to the living room, sinking into the couch cushions on the agent's right. Tony's gaze wanders over the untitled file more than once as he sips the caffeinated beverage but he knows better than to try and peek inside.

“How is-”

Coulson answers him before he can get the name out. “She's all right. Her European assignment is working out well.” Tony glances over at him and sees the dark smudges of too-little sleep underneath his eyes.

“How are you?” He asks more gently, setting the now empty cup down. Coulson drains his own and picks up the file, standing up as he answers.

“I'll be fine. Ask me again later.” Tony doesn't understand and opens his mouth to say so, but the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent leaves the room before he can get the words out.

As the days grow colder with the onset of winter, Agent Coulson seems to wind up tighter than ever before. Tony is absolutely convinced more than ever that he's sleeping in his office but the Avengers can find no sign. Fury is even more his namesake than usual, terrifying regular agents with more aplomb than Tony remembers being at the receiving end of.

One day in particular dawns with a cloudy sky and Tony is half-asleep inside his suit from being awake all night. The Avengers had been sent to the other end of the city to stop an upstart villain with more fashion sense than brains to pull off his plan of world domination. The four return and strip off their costumes, Thor still laughing over the villain's cape of gold embossed with a rune that the villain claimed meant protection; the Norse God had told them on the way back it actually meant 'lover of meat'.

Tony's laughter gets stuck in his throat as they relax in the living room, waiting for Coulson to debrief them. The door to Hawkeye's bedroom is cracked open, a door that none have entered for the past year. Thor bristles as the sound of movement from inside is heard, Steve tensing as Bruce's pallor takes on a green tinge. None of them like the thought of an interloper and this isn't a funny joke.

Tony feels his eyes widen impossibly large at the voice that filters through.

“Hi honey, I'm home.” It's Clint's voice, laden with exhaustion but cheerful as ever. Thor shoves the door open and the four stop short in the doorway as Coulson pushes past them brusquely.

Clint stands in the room a few feet away, still-healing scar tissue wrapping around his upper left arm and yellow bruises on his stubbled cheek. He gives a cheeky wave at the four as Coulson stops in front of him. The agent's hands wrap around Clint's wrists, trailing over his arms to wrap around his shoulders. Clint smiles at the older man before their lips meet. Tony and the others leave them to it as Coulson's hand sinks into the shoulder-length hair, because this is not a sight or welcoming meant for them.

They find seats on the couch and look at each other, mouths open.

“What is going on?” Steve throws a bewildered look to the now closed door. Bruce shrugs helplessly.

“Deep undercover, maybe? Deep deep cover?” Tony suggests. Then his brain reminds him that there is someone who has no idea Clint is still alive. “Wait, who is gonna tell Natasha?”

“Director Fury is recalling her as we speak,” Coulson answers, walking into the room with Clint trailing behind him. The clearly-not-dead marksman winces when Coulson continues after slanting him a glance. “She should arrive in a few hours.”

“So, you guys probably have questions.” Clint settles on the couch, drawing out the first word with a grin. Thor reaches over, thumping him on the back as he draws him into an embrace. Coulson sits next to him, knees touching.

“I am just glad you are returned from Hel's domain!” He booms, and Tony thinks that about covers it.

Steve speaks for them all after a long minute of silence and manly embraces. “You were never dead?”

Clint shakes his head. “I was in that building, but I ran right out the back door as soon as I went in. I saw it go up and knew what you all would think, I'm so sorry!” He apologizes more than once telling his story and how he infiltrated HYDRA to help S.H.I.E.L.D. locate their bases and research facilities.

“I mourned you!” Tony accuses, fire building in his gut. The heroic story is good and all but that doesn't change the fact that everyone was lied to for over a year. “We thought you were dead and Natasha disappeared and why the hell did you not tell us?” He rounds on Coulson, ignoring the way his voice cracks. He feels the tiredness of the last fourteen months on him.

Coulson leans towards Tony, elbows on his knees. “Do the words national security mean nothing to you, Mr. Stark?”

“Hell, forget national,” Clint jokes, resting a hand on the agent's back. “HYDRA wants to blow up the world, it's at least international security.”

Thor snorts and it breaks the tension. Tony leans back on the couch, staring at Agent Coulson. The older man gives him a helpless look and the billionaire understands his hands were tied in this matter which eases the anger a little.

They've all had at least a beer, or four in Thor's case, and Tony is relishing the opportunity to catch Clint up with the current S.H.I.E.L.D. gossip when the elevator doors open. Tony stops mid-sentence because this is either going to be a fantastic fight or a very sorrowful meeting; he's betting it'll lean more toward the former with Natasha's tight reign on her emotions.

Tony isn't disappointed when the woman throws something small at the six men. He drops to the carpet as does Steve and Bruce, looking up to see that Clint has caught the knife a few inches before it went through Coulson's skull. The agent of course, hasn't flinched.

“Welcome back to the States, Natasha,” he remarks calmly as if his agent hadn't just tried to kill him. She replies with one word in Russian and both Clint and Coulson wince. Tony makes note of the word and resolves to look it up later. The woman continues, spitting words out harshly as Clint drops the knife to the couch and stands up.

“Hey, hey now Tasha, it's okay,” Clint walks toward her, keeping his voice low as he murmurs soothingly. Tony figures treating the assassin like a skittish animal isn't a bad idea, considering this one in particular can kill you six different ways with her pinky. Coulson leans back on the couch, taking a deep swallow from his beer as the other three resume their seats gingerly. They all watch as Clint ducks a lightning-fast punch and sidesteps the follow up kick aimed at his kneecap.

Tony is impressed that the man catches her foot that's en route to connect with his head, fingers tightening over her ankle. He's only half-surprised that the woman uses the momentary foothold to jump onto Clint. The archer staggers back a few steps with her sudden weight but his arms come around her to hold her tighter to him automatically.

He carries her out of view of the others and Tony hears a door, presumably to Clint's room, open and shut not soon after. Coulson opens another two bottles and passes the first to Steve as they all hear something crash loudly over indistinct voices.

“Should we not go to help?” Thor asks as the sounds of more items breaking reach them in the living room.

Coulson shakes his head, amusement on his face. “No use. They'll sort it out on their own.” Tony reckons that's true if only the Black Widow manages not to kill her former partner. “I wouldn't want to get in between them anyhow.” They all nod at that fact and go back to drinking.

Close to an hour later, the two return to the living room. Clint's rubbing his chest and Natasha looks less angry and something closer to weary. Tony doesn't make mention of her red-rimmed eyes or the way she curls into Clint on the couch, arm tucked through his, and just hands her an open bottle.

They run through training exercises as a full team one week later. Thor uses Mjölner to crush the steel drums representing the villains as Tony uses the suit to hover near Clint's protected position on the roof. The archer loads his bow and raises a finger at him before letting the arrow fly, hitting the pop-up henchman right behind the Black Widow in the chest. Tony takes the hint and goes to blow up some targets of his own.

If they all turn at some point to double-check that Clint is protected from the worst of the fighting during the next skirmish with HYDRA, they never bring it up. Coulson scans his body for any new scars when they return and Clint sighs loudly but doesn't make any move to leave his lover's grip.


End file.
